Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Darkest Summer, by Rebecca J. Greenwood
2017, 284p, Clean Regency Romance
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author, which did not affect my review in any way

Lady Cora Winfield's life has always gone according to plan--her mother's plan. That's why Cora is so fascinated when she meets the dark Duke of Blackdell. Knowing his dangerous reputation, Cora's mother flatly forbids the match, and the duke decides to take matters into his own hands. Kidnapped and facing a scandal, Lady Cora must now decide whether love will be her downfall or the beginning of a new plan, one she never dreamed possible.

Set in the stormy summer of 1816, this Regency romance is a retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone.

Lady Cora Winfield loves plants and is kind of bored with the social scene in London and the men who constantly fight for her attention. Adam Richard Douglas, the dark Duke of Blackdale, is taken with her from the first moment he sees her, and his attention piques her interest. Her mother finds him to be completely unacceptable, however, and telling him that sets a plan in motion that changes everything.I love it when an author puts a new spin on the Regency era! First of all, most mothers are pushing their daughters to marry above their social standing but Cora's mother had quite a few objections to their courtship. Adam's plan to kidnap Cora was a horrible one, but in his anger, it was the only choice he felt he had. As you can imagine, it definitely affected their relationship. Cora felt a wide range of emotions as she tried to figure out her feelings for him. Adam needed help with this plan in order to pull it off. I liked the characters he got to help him and to see how this plan affected his relationships with them as well.There were some parts at the beginning that were slow to me, but once it picked up, I couldn't put it down until I knew how it ended. Like the title suggests, it's on the darker side but still light enough to not get weighed down. I especially love that it's clean so I can easily recommend it to anyone! It's a great choice for anyone that enjoys clean Regency romance!

Rebecca J. Greenwood is an author, artist, and designer with a love of stories, especially Regency romances. She grew up in Texas as the oldest of six, and studied visual art with a music minor at Brigham Young University. Rebecca lives in Utah with her husband, where she listens to audiobooks, cooks experimentally, has an interest in alternative health, and constantly has a new project in mind. Visit rebeccajgreenwood.com to experience more of her art, writing, and upcoming projects.